La Paz: SEIDO targets hitmen in Baja California Sur

 Translated for Borderland Beat

December 16, 2014 at 12:00:01 After being in captivity for more than 17 days, Víctor Barraza Martínez "28", "El Vidal", and five of his accomplices have given their first statements, in the Centre of the Attorney General of the Republic (PGR). 

The Seido unit specializes  in the investigation of crimes against health and operates similar as a specialized attorney/prosecutor in investigation of organized crime (SEIDO).  They are targeting  assassins  to locate, stop, and capture those allegedly involved, from July 31, 2014, for kidnappings, executions, and torture.

In an apparent war between the Sinaloa Cartel kingpins: Dámaso López Núñez "El Licenciado" and Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, for control of the plaza in La Paz.

Preliminary investigation by PGR/SEIDO/UEIDCS/605/2014, since November 26, when one of the two heads of the "Damaso enforcers" was captured, moved, and was incarcerated in Mexico City.

In his statement, as the head of sicarios, he admitted to being one of those responsible for the wave of violence in La Paz.  

On his cell phone were numbers of La Paz, Los Cabos, Comondu, Culiacán and El Dorado, Sinaloa; including photographs of most of the members of his criminal cell.  The photos depicted members wearing camouflage and black uniforms, posing with high powered weapons, and beautiful women (buchonas).  He said the women were used,  to seduce his rivals when located, then kidnapping  and killing them.

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The criminal boss corroborated members of his criminal organization and also rivals, providing key information that lead to their whereabouts, leading to an operation in the States of Baja California Sur, Baja California, Sinaloa and Sonora. 

During the federal investigation, "28" did not resist interrogation and, without being pressed, spoke of the modus operandi of criminal groups. He gave details, dates, places, names and addresses, and spoke of the network of links between criminals and State Police, ministerial and municipal officers involved in the wave of violence in La Paz.

The gunman was more explicit and exposed his relationship with the Commissioner of the State preventive police, Francisco Javier Camacho Manríquez, and some officials of the Cabinet of the Governor Marcos Alberto Covarrubias Villaseñor, as the former coordinator of tours, Irineo Martínez Ordaz, and the former director of transport, Gabino Ceseña Espinoza, among others, and of the Ministry of finance, whom allegedly had supplied "official identification", fronting  as public servants.  The bogus identifications were given to criminals like Esteban Espinoza Velázquez "El Pantera", José Enrique Urquiza Portillo "Ferrari", and Alberto Montero Lizarraga .

After investigations  were initiated, SEIDO said the house on the street Gilberto Mendoza of the colonia Civilizadores de Paz, was the apprehension location of  "28" and his accomplices.  At the entrance of the house, there was a shrine to the Santa Muerte, with candles and  9 mm and.223 or 7.62 x 39 bullets.

Federal investigators confirmed that the safe house was used for torturing and murdering people, when Luminol was placed on the floor of the House, the walls of the dining room lit up, the sign of blood protein.  It was in the dining room, where - according to research - their victims were tortured, which fits with pictures and videos found in the cell phone  of the  assassins leader. 

During this investigation, a waitress was rescued the day of the capture of "28", Karla Guadalupe Lugo Beltran "Kenia", was arrested and moved to the center of  SEIDO, she gave her statement about the facts.

 Within the records of the assassins at SEIDO, are some testimonies of victims like Jesus Ernesto pulled Palomares "Chuy", one of two survivors who were able to escape from the hands of the assassins, as they were about to be killed, to his good fortune, the trunk of the car where he was being kept, opened unexpectedly and he was able to jump out and escape seeking assistance from the Municipal police of La Paz.

After he was kidnapped along with three other men by a Sicario cell, in the Nautilus Street in the colonia La Esperanza II.  The victimdescribe his ordeal saying after being taken to a small home, purple in color,  they were tied hands and feet with duct tape,  and that their captors began to take and send pictures with a cell phone, ordering  that they smile.

On record, "El Chuy" reported that "the Sicarios removed his blindfold and he saw about ten people, and  noticed a woman of about 24 years of age, stature, thin build,  long hair, straight and black, with a Sinaloan accent". 

The victim recalled some of his captors describing  them as:

1.- A young person of male sex, height approximately 1.90 meters, thin build, skin tone and eyes clear, clean shaven, long hair, who was called "El Grande".

2.- A man of approximately 23 years old, of 1.60 meters, sturdily built with clear complexion, brown hair,  clean shaven,  thick voice; he seemed to be boss and they called him "El Mayoral".

3.- A person of male sex, about 1.70 meters of height, sturdily built with brown complexion, deep eyes with dark circles, hairless,  about 26 years, nicknamed "El Guacho".

4.- A man of little hair, 1.70 metres tall, sturdily built with clear complexion, very short but groomed beard, approximately 27 years and Sinaloan accent.

5.- An individual of the male sex, aquiline nose, with a scar on it, about 32 years,  full beard , with a scar on the jaw; 1.70 meters tall, sturdily built, swarthy complexion and short hair, like pelón.

6.- A man of approximately 28 years old, 1.70 meters tall, sturdily built, swarthy complexion, black hair, no beard or mustache; a tattoo on the back and chest, which said "Pugar". They dressed "cholo".

After whipping them against the wall, he and his other three companions,  Luis Fernando Leyva Guzmán, Eduardo Salvador Aguilar Sosa and José Francisco Lizárraga Félix name "Chapo",  were separated and interrogated separately.

The perpetrators wanted to obtain information about their rivals.    'El Mayoral"  began to beat us with the butt of a rifle, and shouted 'you know, tell us the truth!'". Also, the survivor said he had observed how they tortured and killed Luis Fernando Leyva Guzmán, hearing so many cries and screams , "I tried to suffocate myself, pushing my fingers in his mouth, since he felt that they would kill him, he tried for more than one hour without having achieved it".

 In his testimony, Jesus Ernesto  "Chuy", said that after the torture, they heard only laughter and music of narco corridos, it was then that he was approached  by the person's with the nickname "El Grande", who inquired , how would you like me to start torturing you?

Would you like us to start with your testicles and put them in your mouth? " "I replied "no", to  the gunman, he left to torture José Francisco Lizárraga Félix "The Chapo", whose head was shoved into a toilet, then stripped naked then thrown into a shower, where he was beaten savagely.

According to the victim, that day was hell for himself and his companions, being  late and overcome by sleep, he woke  up when "El Grande"  began to say that they would not see the light of day, he then grabbed an accordion, which he knew how to play well, and asked verbatim: " what song do you want?".

I answered; "the one  you want", then "he started playing, and I watched another Sicario  singing and making a mockery of us, the person with tattoo 'Pugar' said that day he would kill us,  we were then taken out of the house and placed in a trunk of a car.

However, when they were going to kill us,  the truck hit a stop and the trunk opened giving the men an opportunity to escape,  of which they took full advantage of. They fled stopping at an  Express Miramar store, when the Municipal Police were called.

Víctor Barraza Martínez "28",  on the morning of Dec. 7 kidnapped, tortured and murdered the narcomenudista Jesús Daniel Quiroga Pichardo, whose body was abandoned outside the private home of Deputy Director of the State Ministerial police, Félix Geraldo Castro, in the Mediterranean Sea Street between Pacific Ocean and mangrove, Colonia La Esperanza II, a few blocks from the House of the Governor of the State of Baja California Sur, Marcos Alberto Covarrubias Villaseñor.

The body was inside a vinyl bag and had the following message: "Jesús Félix Castro Geraldo stop grabbing the money, because we know who brought  to you Commander Edgar Rene Castro Meza alias “El Tomatillo”, the two criminal accomplices of  Rene, you're an asshole traitor, but thanks for putting us  on to “ Al Helio “ and  “Al Pikas”.even though you're a traitor, we played you chueco with the fucking  double flag.  you were taking money from both sides and the government , you fucking traitor" Att C.D.S

The bag of the victim had  around thirty sweets, and according to experts from the Attorney General of Justice of the State, the body had a mutilated face and had no neck, even some body parts were missing.

 Immediately, the PGJE opened an investigation and at the close of this Edition, already had evidence on the alleged perpetrators. The investigators of the case believe that the killing of Jesús Daniel Quiroga Pichardo is linked to the detention of " El 28", since the victim was one of the assassins that was in his service.

 This  would have been recommended by Giovanni Alejandro Agúndez González alias "El Pelón". According to the researchers, the murder would have been  planned after it was discovered that the narcomenudista annnounced " El 28’s" safe house location, especially because a couple of days after  their capture, there began to be distributed  a series of flyers among members of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of which got into the hands of the State and federal authorities  it said:

 "They are dicks, already  they grabbed  tickets for Facebook, this weekend, you are worth dick you fucking traitors selling pussy, the shot is  ready ok you fucking dicks , they know who fucking  betrayed  El Grande, together with your  State and Ministeriales, we will be fucking up any traitor that is still alive."

We put two and two together until we break your mother, we dont have bitch bosses you fucking traitors , to chapitô you put your Michoacan violin".

The narcomensaje relieves a nascent struggle between Cruz Alonso Lozoya Uriarte "El Grande" criminal cell and Víctor Barraza Martínez " El 28", of the Special forces of Dámaso, until the capture of the latter.

 According to the analysis of the message by a specialist in organized crime, "El 28’s" people have the certainty that "El Grande" was behind the capture of Víctor Barraza Martínez to save his own skin, even having time to sneak in and out of Baja California Sur, after the arrival of  SEIDO, which could open a new front in battle between armed groups in the Sinaloa Cartel.

Original article in Spanish courtesy of http://zetatijuana.com/